AAA is reminding motorists about the dangers of leaving children and pets in hot cars. According to the National Weather Service, heat and humidity will make it feel like 100 degrees.
“Drivers may think it’s okay to leave children and pets unattended in a vehicle while they run a quick errand,” says Jenifer Moore, AAA spokeswoman. “The decision to choose perceived convenience over safety can have tragic consequences.”
Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash-related fatalities for children 14 and younger, with an average of 37 fatalities per year since 1998.
Between 1998 and 2017, 19 children in Ohio have died as a result of vehicular heat stroke.
Between 1998 and 2017, 17 children in Kentucky have died as a result of vehicular heat stroke.
Some scary statistics:
· Thus far this year, 13 children have died from vehicular heatstroke across the country.
· Vehicle heatstroke claimed the lives of 42 children nationally in 2017.
· A child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s body
· A child can die of heat stroke on a 72-degree day
· On a 95-degree day a car can heat up to over 180-degrees
· The steering wheel can reach 159 degrees (temperature for cooking medium-rare meat)
· The seats can reach 162 degrees (temperature for cooking ground beef)
· The dash can reach 181 degrees (temperature for cooking poultry)
· At 104 degrees internal organs start to shut down
· Of the more than 700 heatstroke deaths in children from 1998-2017:
o 54% child “forgotten” by caregiver (400 children)
o 27% child playing in unattended vehicle (200 children)
o 18% child intentionally left in vehicle by adult (137 children)
o 1% – circumstances unknown (5)
AAA Urges Motorists To ACT:
• A — Avoid heatstroke by never leaving a child in the car alone, not even for a minute.
• C — Create reminders by putting something in the backseat you need when exiting the car – for example, a cell phone, purse, wallet, briefcase or shoes. Never leave car keys or car remote where children can get to them.
• T — Take action and immediately call 9-1-1- if you notice a child unattended in a car.
Hot Cars and Pets
When it comes to heatstroke, your animals are also at risk. Leaving them in a vehicle while you run into a store, take a break at a rest stop during a family road trip or for any other reason, can have deadly consequences.
Animals left in hot cars can face irreversible organ damage, heat stroke, brain damage and death.
Signs of heatstroke in dogs and cats can include:
· Panting
· Excessive drooling
· Vomiting
· Reddened gums and tongue
· Rapid heart rate
· Wobbly, uncoordinated movement
Animals also face increased risk when they have factors like age (very young, very old), obesity, poor heart/lung conditioning, are a short-nosed, flat-faced breed, or have a thick hair coat.
From AAA
